Kirkwood Mayor to Visit Westchester Elementary in Response to Student Letter

Third-grader Max Hutchison took his writing assignment very seriously from his teacher Mrs. Bartin. Bartin asked her students to invite someone who has lived in the Kirkwood community awhile to come talk to the class and share information about the history of the city.

Hutchison wrote a letter in early October and invited the mayor of Kirkwood, Art McDonnell. Hutchison’s father delivered the letter to city hall.  A few days later, McDonnell accepted the invention and will be coming to speak to all 72 third-graders at .

In the letter, Hutchison asked the mayor to come speak about Kirkwood history “since you have lived a long time,” and that the mayor should not worry about being nervous talking in front of class because “you give a lot of speeches.”

The mayor’s office said this was the first request they were aware of that involved a student inviting the mayor to speak to a class and that the mayor was looking forward to his visit to Westchester.

After learning about the political system and branches of government at school, Hutchison is now an aspiring politician himself.  “I would like to be president someday.  But first I have to start as a city council member, then mayor, then Congress, then governor and then run for president,” said Hutchison.

The mayor is planning on talking about his job as mayor, as part of the executive branch of local government as well as important events in Kirkwood’s history and his personal experiences as a kid growing up in Kirkwood.

McDonnell is a 1960 graduate of .

Kirkwood Patch would like to thank Lisa Wade of the Kirkwood School District for sharing the above information with our readers.